UPDATE: Memorial vs. Green Bay Preble game time has been moved to 5:00 on Saturday @ Chippewa Falls High School.

So that was interesting!  I think I started the last post that way and it still holds true after tonight’s game.  The last line from the post on Wednesday looking forward to the game tonight.

No surprise if it is another 1 goal game tomorrow. A battle.

Well. I got that one right.  Memorial hung tough for a well-earned 2-1 win over Hudson.  You just had a feeling it would go this way.  Game 1 vs. Hudson we cruised to win by 4.  Game 2 vs Hudson was a tougher contest and the Abes had to fight hard and find some late goals to earn a 2 goal win.  Game 3 we discussed would be hard.  Hudson was getting better.  Their young players had matured.  The teams know each other well.  It is hard to beat a team three times.  So no surprise at all it ended up a one goal win and full of drama late.

So I guess no surprise as well that I start the blog with another picture from the intros.  Please give me a little leeway here as I am on a countdown.  If everything goes perfectly, I will get to see Cooper play three more high school soccer games.  That is the plan anyway…but each night is also a possibility it is his last game.  For all the Senior parents and especially if this is your youngest child, that adds a little different perspective to the proceedings.  Trying to cherish every moment….so you get a picture of Coop to start things off.  Thanks for letting me have that moment.  Appreciate it!  Plus, check out Brotzman’s hair.  Interesting!

First Half

So things started great.  Memorial was into the flow early and was playing really well.  The ball was moving, possession looked good, was in Memorial’s favor and the shots were coming at a decent clip.  Hudson seemed to have a plan to sit a bit deeper and defend and were very mindful of Longville anytime he touched the ball.  Double teams were common. The plan was obvious enough that most of the Hudson parents on the sidelines knew it as well.  They were providing some extra coaching to the Hudson defenders from the sidelines to make sure Jack was being defended.  It will be interesting to see the stats.  I think Memorial will dominate on shots on goal.  The problem was none of the shots were very dangerous.  Several headers that were just off-line.  A few shots from the 18 that lacked enough power to be dangerous. A bunch of corners that just did not develop.  You sensed a goal coming the entire half, but unfortunately, it just did not appear.  The best chance was late when Orser played a nice ball wide to Longville who got into the 18 and near the six before he ripped a hard shot across the box.  A nice kick save by the Hudson GK kept it scoreless at the half.  Memorial GK Hanson had two nice saves off set plays and did a nice job as sweeper keeper, cleaning up 2-3 balls over the top and in space to prevent any shots on goal.  So now the nerves kick in for me and most of the Memorial sidelines.  When you are in control, have most of the shots, are favored, playing at home and it is still 0-0, you start to wonder.

2nd Half

So now the clock watching starts.  The goal must be coming soon, it just feels like we are the better team.  The second half played out a lot like the first.  Memorial just a little better on possession, a few more dangerous shots started to develop.  As well, Hudson decide to get more aggressive in the offensive half.  20 minutes into the second half and Hudson started to really find their game. Hudson played well.  They were aggressive. Their wing players more threatening than I remember.  Their striker was dangerous and a handful all night. Their defenders were strong and cleaned up everything. They played more balls wide, they played more balls into their forward, who is very good by the way, and he started to press the Memorial back 4 and put them into some uncomfortable spots.  Then the Referee decided it was time to call some fouls.  I count 4-5 fouls in the second half in some very dangerous positions, 20-30 yards out.  Hudson was good on their free kicks all night. Excellent deliveries and good runs caused some tension in the stands.  Their best chance to score comes off a free kick and a deflection that appears headed right into goal until cat quick GK Hanson pounces and keeps it 0-0. Memorial as well started to get closer to that first goal.

I thought this one was going to be the one.  Jack Longville gets a ball in space and does what he does…a little wiggle here…a little waggle there….a quick touch to his right and …BAM!  Power Shot and headed into goal. Even with the Hudson GK in a good spot, this one almost surprises him.  It was hit with such power it almost blows right off him into the goal.  He hits it so hard, it literally knocks the GK off his feet!. Great shot, Great Save, 0-0.

It felt like that was a sign of things to come.  On nights like these it sometimes comes down to just one moment of magic.  A special player making a special play.  A little foreshadowing…sorry.  Jack continued to look for his shot and Memorial continued to find opportunities for him.  Jack gets loose in the 18 again later in the half and pulls it just high.  Another sign, the goal was getting closer.

So then this happened.  The game is now into the 80th minute and time is running out.  Are we destined for OT.  Are we destined for a PK shootout.  Memorial kept working to find the goal and finally it arrived.  A great sequence so please hang on…it is a bit longer than normal.  Peloquin does an amazing job holding the ball and looking for an opportunity.  He then drops it deep to Orser (not in the video) who swings it over to Joe Free (not in the video) who delivers an amazing cross into a very dangerous spot.  I stayed on the middle of the 18 and kept my attention on Longville in the middle.  Enjoy.

So a few things to point out.

What a great run by Longville.  His vision to anticipate the cross and sprint into position is pretty rare.  His ability to flick the header back corner of the net is also pretty incredible.  He is a very talented player.  The game needed a special moment of magic and Longville delivered.  Now I know some of you are thinking…what’s with the taking the shirt off. Well, if you were a high school kid and had just scored one of the biggest goals of the season, maybe one of the biggest goals in your life to secure a 1-0 win and get your team to within one game of the State tournament….what would you do!  I got to give the kid a waiver on that one. The yellow card sucks and he had to come off the field.  But just look at the players emotion after that goal. Pure, unbridled excitement.  They are going nuts.  It was a big moment.  Not sure Coach Kite will give him a pass….but hey I am a fan! 1-0.

So game over right.  Goal in the 83rd minute.  Hudson deflated.  Memorial jacked up.  You can hear a fan say late in the video, ” the game is not over white”.  Time to refocus and finish this off. So the game restarts and Hudson starts to press numbers forward to try and get the goal.  A few minutes pass no issue.  Then a  free kick from a dangerous spot and Hanson comes up with a save.  Tick tock tick tock.  86 minutes.  Hudson continues to press and a ball gets played from midfield into their left winger, a very speedy and skilled player.  He works the ball deep, makes a little move, gets some space and fires a cross into the middle near the PK spot.  A great run by their right winger is tracking the ball.  The Memorial defender is tracking the runner.  The ball, the Hudson player and the Memorial player all converge near the six.  Somehow, someway, the ball deflects off the Hudson player into the back corner of the net. Not sure if it was a shot, went off a shin or a knee, and he was well guarded, but I do know where it end up.  Back of the net.  87th minute 1-1.  The game ends regulation tied at 1.  Overtime.

First Overtime

Memorial is in control.  A slight wind at their back and they are controlling the game and pressing for the goal.  But 10 minutes is quick, hard to find a rhythm.  A few shots but nothing dangerous.  Hudson plays a ball just past midfield and the striker gets in a little battle for possession with a Memorial defender.  A yellow card comes out.  A red card comes out (second yellow) and Memorial is down a player.  You could have heard a pin drop.  Emotions were low, fans were frustrated and concerned.  All along I have felt there were really only two things standing between Memorial and the Sectional Finals…an injury or a Red Card.  Oh man.  Memorial dropped Lyons back into Defense and managed the last 2 minutes of OT period one.  End of OT 1, 0-0.

Second Overtime

Memorial inserts Logan Junker into the back line and removes Peloquin from up top as they now need to manage playing a man down.  The overtime starts and it is clear Memorial has dropped a little deeper and is working to keep everything in front of them. I make a comment to Junkers dad standing next to me, with Longville in the game, you really just need to find one opportunity for Longville, get him the ball in space and he is capable of making something happen.  He is capable of a special moment. About 4 minutes into the OT, a ball is played deeper into the Hudson half.  The ball is cleared out wide, but the Hudson right-winger is coming back to play a ball under pressure from Owen Jolley.  In an attempt to maintain possession, he plays a ball back toward his midfield.  Jack Longville steps in front of the pass.  Is this the moment.  He takes an aggressive run with the ball.  Could this be it.  He slips past a defender, dribbles toward the 18, gets a friendly bounce off another defenders leg and the ball seems to sit up in a perfect spot.  He is fighting thru two defenders.  The GK starts to come out.  Is this it.  Longville sees it and seizes it, a right footed blast that blows past the GK.  Maybe the GK got a slight touch, but this one was destined for the net.  Special player, special play.  2-1 Memorial. 6 minutes left.  It is a blurr from there.  Hudson is pressing numbers forward.  Memorial is fighting to defend.  Remember, Memorial is a man down. Long balls over the top, balls kicked out-of-bounds, balls kicked deep into the Hudson half…6 minutes….7 minutes, Hudson pressing…Memorial defending….8 minutes….9 minutes….Hanson save….free kick Memorial, tick tock…Game Over!

So, funny story.  I am right in front of the game winning goal.  I have my phone ready and am videotaping it all.  And I have it..it is awesome..I am going to get a perfect video of it.  Well, in my excitement to actually watch it, my phone starts to drift upwards.  I see the pass and steal by Longville, but then…nothing but the top of his head and a lot of sky.  Big Bummer.  Got caught up in the moment.  What a geek.  What a fan!  No video. Ugh! So after the game, I head to dinner with friends.  Need a bathroom break and as I am heading back to my table, there it is.  The evening news on NBC is playing.  Sports Scene 13. I quickly get my phone out and record the highlights from the game.  There is is…Longville’s goal.  Maybe it was karma, maybe just a lucky break, but regardless, I do get to show you the game winning goal.  And the other two as well.  Here you go.

Quick Notes

Green Bay Preble beats Appleton North 2-0.  So it’s #1 Memorial vs. #1 Green Bay Preble on Saturday at Chippewa Falls Field at 3:00. Bring your winter coat.  It’s the game everyone wanted. A rematch of a 3-3 game earlier this year played at Preble.  I missed that game and feel blessed to get to catch this one.  It should be a doozy.  Feel good about playing close to home on a field we are familiar with.  1 game from State.  Feel good we have not played our best yest in the playoffs but still have found a way to survive and advance!

A revenge game for me. 2013 Memorial’s team, with Cooper’s brother Austin lost to Green Bay Preble in the Sectional Final.  It was a 1-0 game and the game winner was on a deflected free kick that ricocheted into the corner of the net.  A very hard loss.  That was a special team and if not for an injury to Scotty Nicolai, had a chance to go to and win State.  Time for Memorial to advance.  Go Abes.  It has been a good ride, let’s keep it going.

Well that was interesting.  In a thrilling and intense affair, Memorial held on to win a tightly contested Regional Final 2-1 today at Memorial.  I have to start by sharing I was not at the game.  I was coaching ECU U15 Girls team in a tournament (we won both games by the way).  No way to reschedule that, and no way to reschedule the game, so I had to miss it.  It was a tough game to miss.  How would I be able to live with missing Cooper’s last soccer game ever if they had lost, no way to do that, so they just had to win.  And they did.

Fortunately for me, I have an awesome wife who is also really good at providing updates and thrilling play by play when I could not wait for the next text update and had to give her a call.  Late in the contest I decided to check my heart rate on my watch.  Any guesses….75….85…95.  Well I was pinging along at around 98-100 for about 5 minutes late in the game.

Let’s see if we can review this one.  First off, the game was very intense and heated.  Physical was the best description I heard.  Lots of tough plays, tackles, tugging, pulling, tripping, and a few yellows handed out as well.  It just seems that DC Everest decided they wanted to muck it up a bit.  I have discussed in a few of the posts that teams might try to take Jack Longville out of the game or try to get physical with him…sounds like DC Everest tried that today.  An early Everest free kick that just missed set the tone for this one.  Hold on folks.  Longville got the scoring started at the 4:34 mark with a direct kick just outside the 18.  It was a beautiful strike up and over the wall and just to the right of the keeper.  In tribute to Jack….here is how I think it might have looked. Okay…I know Marcos Alonso is left footed, but he plays for Chelsea and it was a great shot.  Enjoy.  Way to go Jack, you are starting to get hot on your free kicks.  Big games need a little magic sometimes.

Memorial seemed to get control of the game after the goal.  There was some wind today and it favored Memorial in the first half.  They controlled possession, kept the ball in Everest’s end a good portion of the first half.  The most dangerous balls were long balls over the top that the back 4 and Tyler Hanson had to deal with.  With the wind, it felt like Memorial needed another goal before half.  It showed up at the 34 minute mark, along with a little controversy.  Man of the Match Owen Jolley was able to get control of a bouncing ball in the box off a direct kick (I think) and in a crowd of players and poke it into the back of the net.  The DC Everest fans, players and especially coaches all claimed hand ball.  There was a long delay as the referees discussed it.  After the discussion the goal stood.  2-0 Abes.  A big goal.  Talked to Cooper later and he felt it was the right call.  Ball may have struck his hand, but the arm was at his side, no attempt to play the ball, just an inadvertent touch that did not seem to assist in the goal.  It would have been really difficult to call that one.  Play stands.  Big Goal!! Halftime 2-0.

The second half was a much more even affair.  The wind was now favoring DC Everest and they took advantage.  More possession, more shots and a few more difficult balls to judge the wind.  So at this point I start my count down.  Checking my watch every few minutes, calculating the time remaining….50 minutes….55 minutes….60 minutes…oh man, stressful.  I call Kathy a few times and during the call she blurts out an oh no! or an ahhh! and then she gets quiet.  I am hanging there waiting to find out what happened…did Everest score…is there a PK….what happened!  Fortunately, she fills me in that we are out of danger.  Still anxious!

Then this happened.

Here is a link from Bob Bradovich Twitter Account with the play of the game from Owen Jolley.  Kathy tried to describe it to me, she actually did a pretty good job, but unless you were there it would be hard to describe.  A chipped ball into the box, a header back over Tyler and headed into the goal.   I mean really….a bicycle kick to clear a ball off the line….not just a bicycle kick but a Ninja, leaping in the air, throwing my body forward, bicycling kicking the ball from a certain goal, and after all that, landing flat on my back.  Wow….just wow…no other words.  Tyler Hanson properly gives him a big pat on the back and back line mate Bryce Burlingame also recognized the moment with a low five and shoulder slap.  Sort of a …man you saved our bacon on that one kind of pat of the back.  Wow.  Owen ends up in the net and just calmly walks back out onto the field…kind of like…no big deal, I do that all the time.  I would be jumping out of my skin and celebrating…not Owen…just calmly goes about his business.  Nice Owen, very nice!

https://mobile.twitter.com/BradoNews18/status/921859302696112129/video/1

So a 2-0 finish right, wrong.  It was time for a little drama. At this point in the game it was getting pretty chippy.  DC Everest is fighting for their lives and by fighting, I kind of mean fighting.  A tough Yellow on Simon Larson near midfield starts the sequence.  Everest plays a long ball into the 18 on the right side of the box.  On the other side of the box, the DC Everest player who just forced the yellow on Larson is in a tussle with Bryce Burlingame fighting for position.  They are nowhere near the ball.  Foul Burlingame.  What?  Who makes that call?  Drama.  DC Everest steps up and buries the free kick into the back of the net at the 83 minute mark.  2-1 game with 7 minutes to go.  7 long and intense minutes.  Memorial stayed calm and actual started to possess really well in this period.  They had a few chances, a few near misses and weathered the storm.  Everest best chances were the balls over the top as they tried to beat defenders long. That was a long 5 minutes I must say.  I decided I could not wait for a text, I just called and had Kathy talk me thru the end of the game.  Whew!  That was a good one, pretty intense, especially when you are not there!! Heart rate coming down a little.

The team was really into it as well.  Here is a shot of the bench late in the game.  Arms locked, probably saying a few prayers.  Love it!  No sitting for this one!

Here is a shot of the boys celebrating winning their Regional .

Here is a shot of the boys having a team moment!  It is a special time, especially for the Seniors.  A classic Survive and Advance game.  I mentioned in my Playoff Blog that you will need to win a game by just one goal.  You will need to have a few moments of magic.  And you may also need a little luck.  I think we got all three today.  Moving on to the Sectionals.  I plan to be at the next game!  Go Abes!

Well, before we get to the game update, just had to drop in a picture from the pregame player introductions.  I try not to be too biased…well that’s not true…I am very biased toward Memorial, but I try not to let people know I am Cooper’s father on the posts each week.  Sometimes though, I just can’t help myself.  Had to take this photo of Cooper.  Last few games are upon us.  Each night might be my last chance to see him play high school soccer or maybe any kind of soccer.  So I am trying to soak it all in and make a few memories for later.  I just love watching him play….along with all these awesome boys!

A strong start for Memorial tonight as they dominated North en route to a 5-0 win in the first round of Regional play.  This is what you would expect in a #8 seed vs. a #1 seed, but as they say…that’s why you play the games…you just never know.  Memorial seemed jacked up for this one.  Any thoughts by North of an upset were squashed early when Luke Rosenberger put a ball into the box that was neatly volleyed home by Jack Longville in the 3rd minute.  Momentum to Memorial, North chasing the game early. North was on the back foot all night, struggling to maintain possession while Memorial surged forward, connecting passes, pressing forward and playing in Norths half for a significant part of the half.  It was really just a matter of time before Memorial created some separation on the scoreboard.

This was the third meeting this year between the cross town rivals and all three games were eerily similar.  5-0, 4-0, 5-0.  When the box score comes out tomorrow , expecting it to look a little like this.

Shots.  Memorial: Too many to count.  North: Not Many

Shots on Goal. Memorial: A bunch of Shots on Goal. North: Very few if any shots on goal.

Saves: Memorial: Can’t remember a Save  North: A Bunch of Saves.

Corners: Memorial: A ton of corners.  North: Just a few

I think this is exactly what Coach Kite was looking for tonight.  Play efficient with crisp passing, physical play and a pressing mentality…score early and often and get a solid halftime lead of 3-0….score early in the second half to eliminate any doubt of a comeback….get Cooper to score a header so dad will get excited…get in the reserves and get some rest for the starters so we can get ready for Saturday.  Well, maybe not the Cooper header, but hey, bloggers prerogatives.

Let’s check out some highlights.

So we discussed balanced scoring as a key for Memorial.  Jack got us going early with the nice volley and then around the 12 minute mark Jacob Peloquin put us up 2-0.  A corner and a flick header were blocked by North who then attempted to clear the ball out of the 18.  Peloquin was in the right spot, trapped the ball and went top shelf with a driving blast from near the 18.  He hit this one with power and it surprised the GK.  Nicely done Jacob for his 5th goal of the season.

If you have been following the blog all year, then you know I have been on a Cooper Lyons header goal watch all year.  He has been close many times and I have been patiently waiting to get one.  Just wide, just over, great save.  I count 5-6 great attempts this year at least.  Here is another one, diving save by the GK on this one. Almost!  Keep trying Coop, I have a feeling you might get one soon!

Matt Martinez continues to contribute offensively.  He adds a nice dimension out wide and has racked up some good assist numbers in the past few weeks.  Here is a great run out wide, a burst of speed and a perfectly placed cross right at the 6.  Mitch Brenner comes flying in an executes a really nice diving header.  That’s not easy folks to get the timing just right.  Well done Mitch…a 3-0 lead and your 7th goal of the year.  Did I mention balanced scoring.  That’s 3 different players who have scored.

Since I did not get Jack’s first goal, I figured I should get him some props and drop in a video of a really nice run by Longville.  Multiple moves, a little shake and bake, a few cut backs and…..boom…a big right footed drive to the near post.  One of the nicer saves of the night from the North GK.  A really nice run by jack.  Probably deserved a goal there, but I have a feeling he might get one soon.

That didn’t take long.  This is an interesting one.  Orser plays a driving pass into Longville who makes a pretty amazing trap and turn and shot.  It appears to be a possible hand ball, at least Jack and a few players think so.  Jack actually stops momentarily to look at the ref.  Well, the ball deflects to Haig who calmly and smartly drops a pass back to Jack.  Jack calmly and smoothly drives a ball up over the top and into the corner if the net.  I guess I would rather get that score that a PK on the handball.  It would have been a tough call to make and it works out better this way. A nice pinpoint drive into the net.  4-0 Abes and two for Longville tonight, goals 35 and 36 on the year. Sweet!  I told you I thought he was going to get hot and get on a scoring roll.

Well, I have been waiting for it all year.  A header goal by Lyons.  I think he just decided it was time.  Some tough conditions as the corner by Jolley comes from the side of the field with the sun facing the players.  You can see them all covering their eyes looking for the ball.  Coop told me he really couldn’t see much, but then saw a little back dot headed his way.  So he POUNDED home a header into the back of the net.  No way this one was going to be saved.  This one had some juice on it.  Way to go Cooper!  A header goal!  Goal number 4 on the year for Lyons.  You can tell I was hoping this was it, I zoomed in a bit on Cooper and got a pretty good view of the shot.  Bam!  Too close to see it going across the goal line but trust me, no chance for the GK. 5-0 Abes.

Top Takeaways for the Game

Longville is back. After 3 games without a goal, his longest stretch of the season, and partly due to limited playing time in that stretch, Longville is back with 2 goals.  He looked dangerous all night.  He is critical if Memorial is to make a deep run.

Balanced Scoring is Key as Well.  We discussed it during the Playoff Blog.  Teams may try to double team Longville and remove him from the game.  Not sure they can…but they may try.  Memorial had 4 different players score and also scored on a corner kick.  Taking some pressure off Jack is big.

Clean Sheet, Very Few Shots.  Another game where the defense of Free-Larson-Burlingame and Jolley limited the shots and Hanson cleaned up any dangerous balls over the top.  The biggest moment of the night was the yellow on GK Hanson.  Didn’t see it from my position, but another yellow or a red there was really North’s only chance.

I will keep a close eye on the brackets and opponent for Memorials next game.  Next Game is Saturday.  Time TBD.  We play the winner of #4 seed DC Everest and #5 seed Stevens Point at Memorial. Let’s keep this going boys!

There was a soccer game in New Richmond today featuring the home team New Richmond Tigers and the Memorial Old Abes.  There were shots and saves and great passes and great defense.  There were also some missed shots, some bad passes and some bad defensive plays.  There were parents cheering for their kids and enjoying watching them play the game they love.  But there were also some heavy hearts.  The New Richmond community is coming to terms with the loss of a 16-year old high school girl and soccer player this week.  Today, the team and fans paid tribute to Megan Bennig. No words can express the loss of a child.  I heard a parent in the Memorial stands comment, “I guess the score doesn’t really matter today”.  That really sums it up for me. As parents we love our sports.  We cheer hard.  We are happy when they win, sad when they lose. We place a lot of pressure on our kids.  Maybe we shouldn’t.  Today was a good reminder.  Give your kid a hug tonight, tell them you love them, tell them how much you enjoy watching them play soccer.  And as well, say a little prayer for New Richmond and the family and friends of Megan.

Yes there was a game today.  Memorial got back into their groove and played efficiently.  The energy, passing and movement were excellent.  It was a good reply to their tough loss at home last week.  Will Orser drove the ship today and really impacted the game.  His passing and distribution were key to the dominant first half.  He had a goal and really controlled the play in midfield. Memorial dominated possession and worked the ball around the pitch well.   Goals were from excellent build up play, working the ball down the wings and finding opportunities for crosses or space in the middle to break down the defense.

Here are some highlights.  Really good build up play and connecting multiple passes leads to a nice chest trap and shot from Orser and then a nice hustle play from Peloquin to pressure the GK. Peloquin put the GK in a bad spot and sometimes that creates a scoring opportunity.  Peloquin taken down in the box. Penalty.

Orser steps up and buries the PK.  So calm and so smooth on PK’s.  1-0 memorial.

Luke Rosenberger was very dangerous today.  He was aggressive and looking for space.  He had several quality runs and shots on the day.  Here was a great opportunity.  A nice pass from Orser and a good shot heading for goal.  A late stab by the GK to save this one.  Rosenberger knew it was heading into goal based on his reaction.

You just had a feeling Rosenberger was going to get one today.  Mitch Brenner was very active in the middle today and plays a great ball into space for Rosenberger who takes a nice touch inside, sets up the GK and fires one into the side net.  Nice shot.  2-0 Memorial.

Tell me if you have heard this one before.  Owen Jolley makes a surging run down the left side, makes a pinpoint cross into the middle and the Abes score.  Assit Jolley.  Well, here we go again.  Peloquin with the nice touch and quick shot to make it 3-0 Memorial in the first half.

The game was really decided at that point.  The emotion of the day for New Richmond was tough.  A hard game to play and hats off to them for their brave effort, hustle and heart today.  The second half was much the same for Memorial as far as possession and quality of play.  They were able to get all their reserves into the game and finish off a quality win as they point toward the playoffs.

Top Takeaways for the Game

Another Clean Sheet. Defense and GK was sharp.  The shots were limited and Tyler Hanson was on his toes cleaning up all the balls over the top and handling the few shots that came his way.

Team Played Better Without Longville. Memorial has played two games this year without Longville and failed to score both times.  Granted, they had a ton of shots, but could not find the back of the net.  Today, they got three and looked confident in the offensive zone.  Passing was crisp and the finishing was very efficient.  This will be critical come playoff time when defenses put extra attention on Longville as they try to shut down Memorial.

Brackets for Division 1 should be out tomorrow.  We will be posting updates as soon as they are available.

Remember, go hug your kid tonight!!

Okay, let me remind everyone that I am a Memorial fan.  I mean, my son plays on the team, so no surprise I cheer hard for the Abes.  It has been a fun year and the posts have been fun to write.  Not tonight.  Tonight is harder. But hey, I guess that comes with the territory.  Let me give this a try.

Let me get this over with.  Rice Lake wins 2-0.  Congratulations to Rice Lake and GK Seth Kurzynski for a nice win.  A big win for Rice Lake.  You could feel it was big as the Rice Lake parents counted down the last 10 seconds….they were loud and proud…it was hard to listen to it, but it was well deserved by their team.  Outgunned, outmanned, less talent, but no less passion and energy on the field.  They played hard.  They hustled, they fought, they were very fortunate, maybe a little lucky, and sometimes in sports, things just go your way and upsets happen.  It was not a critical game for Memorial, having won conference and likely their #1 seed is not in jeopardy heading into the regionals next week.  But man what a strange game , no other way to explain it.  Soccer is funny that way sometimes.  Weird!

It will be interesting to look at the stats tomorrow.  If you review the Box Score first and do not look at the score, you would predict the final score of Memorial 6-0 over Rice Lake.  Memorial dominated possession.  I would say 70-80% possession.  Memorial dominated shots.  I am guessing Memorial had 25-30 shots (maybe more) and probably 10-15 of those on goal.  Memorial hit the cross-bar. Memorial had 8-10 corners.  It was a typical game for Memorial in the box score and on the field, but anything but typical on the scoreboard.  Two games against Rice Lake and no goals. How did we lose that game.  Weird!

I am guessing Rice Lake had 4-5 shots and probably 3 on goal that I remember.  I missed the first goal.  Halftime was winding down and the parents were headed to get ready for the Halftime Senior/Parent Night program.  At the 44:35 mark as a ball was getting cleared out of the box it ended up with a Rice Lake player, who hit a shot from 25-30 yards out.  No chance right…too far out…just a last-minute shot since you have nothing going for you offensively, might as well try a rip from distance, what do you have to lose. Shockingly, the ball finds the net.  Talking to players later, they were not sure the Memorial GK even saw the shot.  I should mention that Memorials Tyler Hanson did not start tonight, giving way to Senior Aaron Brotzman on Senior Night.  Not sure there was anything he could have done.  That shot goes in probably 1 in 100 tries from that distance.  But on this night, 1-0 Rice Lake.  I should also mention that Jack Longville did not start, resting a sore knee, and needing him for more important games down the road.  Maybe he finishes a few of the first half shots and Memorial has an easy lead, maybe not, but the shots just would not go in on this night.  Weird!

I mentioned earlier that Soccer can be a funny game.  If you dominate a team in Football, it usually turns into a win.  You eventually get the ball across the goal line.  In basketball, if you out shoot the opponent by a large margin , it almost always means you win.  But in soccer, there is that darn GK issue.  On some nights, the GK is just in the right spot, shots are right at them, shots somehow get deflected by defenders, shots somehow hit the crossbar, shots somehow go just wide or just high and when the GK is beat, it happens to land on top of the net and not drop into the net.  Then there is a nice save or two that shut down some of the best shots.  Then the top scoring player in the conference breaks free, but hits it right at the GK, when he would normally score that one 9 out of 10 times.  Soccer is funny that way.  You just felt Memorial’s goal was coming, they pressed and pressed, shot and shot, but it was just not their night tonight. No goals.  A few nice saves by GK Kurzynski, but I think even he would admit, things really went this way tonight.  That’s usually what it take for an upset.  A late corner by Rice Lake and a header that drifted up and over the GK made it a 2-0 final. How did that shot find the net.  Weird!

So what now.  Well, I think the team just shakes this off and moves on.  Pretty sure they are not happy and that is good.  Sometimes a late season loss is exactly the medicine to re-focus a team, get their attention, and create the drive in practice needed for a championship run.  No one likes a loss, but now let’s make the loss work for us.  I mean Memorial totally dominated that game, except somehow lost 2-0.  Weird!

So, painful as it sounds I do have some highlights.

I think this sequence sums up the night.  How does that ball not find the net.

Now we have a series of almost.  Another….how did that not find the net.

Luke Rosenberger.  Almost #3

Almost #4. Mitch Brenner.

Almost #5. Cooper Lyons.  I asked him later and he thought it was upper 90 when he hit it, but it was wide right by 5-6 inches.

Almost #6. Will Orser.

Almost #7. Jack Longville.  Jack came on for 20-25 minutes. Thought that one was going to drop in.

Almost #8. Zach Haig.  Nice stop Seth.

Ugh! So I guess that is it.  I am using the blog post to try to purge the game from me…not sure it is working. I just can’t figure out how we lost that game.  So many shots!  So close so many times!  Soccer can be a funny game.  Frustrating. Weird!

Bold Prediction.  This galvanizes the team, creates the urgency needed for post season and leads to a great season ending. 

Now though, it just sucks.

Weird Night Continues.  Just finished catching updates on the US Mens National Team in their effort to qualify for the World Cup.  They were playing the last team in the 6-team group, Trinidad and Tobago. A win or tie would allow them to advance.  They are in a good position.  The lose 2-1 and one of the goals is an own goal.  Shocking!  But still a chance to advance.  If Mexico beats Honduras and they are favored as the top team in the group, we advance.  A late goal by Honduras beats Mexico 3-2.  Stunning!  But still a chance.  If Costa Rica beats Panama and they are favored, then the US will advance.  A late goal by Panama beats Costa Rica 2-1.  Devastating!  I can’t believe I am writing this, the US Mens National Team does NOT qualify for the World Cup.  For a soccer fan who just started a soccer blog, this is depressing.  However bad I felt after the Memorial game, this is worse.  This really, really sucks.

Bold Prediction #2.  Bruce Arena is fired as coach of the Mens Team and there is a complete overhaul of the program, system, selection of players and selection of coaches.  This is the lowest point in my lifetime of the US Mens program.